Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/333134 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Citation: 
[Journal:] Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (WuG) [ISSN:] 0378-5130 [Volume:] 50 [Issue:] 3 [Year:] 2024 [Pages:] 79-110
Publisher: 
Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Wien
Abstract: 
We analyze labor market outcomes among refugees in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analyses are based on eight waves of the COVID-19 Rapid Response Phone Surveys dataset. We employ static panel regression, and test for robustness of the results in a staggered difference-in-difference regression. Findings suggest that employment rate, hours worked, and labor income differed across the waves. Employment rate rose in the last four waves relative to the first four waves of the pandemic. Average hours worked declined relative to the level at the onset of the pandemic. Whereas gender insignificantly affected employment rate, females worked fewer hours compared to males. The higher the educational attainment, the likelier the refugee was employed. College graduates earned higher incomes compared to refugees without formal education. Males and females had similar labor market outcomes for the same level of education. In terms of coping actions, adopters were less likely to be employed in waves 5-8, worked fewer hours, and had lower labor incomes compared to non-adopters. In line with the findings, we recommend, among other things, the implementation of job interventions that target refugees, and proper targeting of social protection and education programs to incentivize work, and raise refugees' human capital.#We analyze labor market outcomes among refugees in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. We leverage COVID-19 RRPS in a fixed effects model. Findings suggest that employment, hours worked, and earnings made differed across the waves. Despite employment, hours worked, and earnings declining at the onset, these outcomes rose as the pandemic progressed. An education penalty existed such that educated female refugees were less likely to be employed and worked fewer hours compared to uneducated male counterparts. Although interventions significantly raised earnings, the effect on hours worked and employment was intervention-specific. Hours worked and employment of refugees rose significantly in unsustainable coping strategies but declined significantly in remittances, and assistance. Employing the fixed effects difference-in-difference estimator, we established that these results were robust. The study concludes that educated female refugees are heavily penalized with respect to employment and hours worked; and, the evolution of hours worked and employment was intervention-specific.
Subjects: 
Coping actions
COVID-19 pandemic
Labor market outcomes
Refugees
Victims of forced displacement
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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